PRESS RELEASE
Embassy of Japan
March 21, 2002
Japanese ODA News
Exchange of Notes for Japan's ODA
for
the Project for Reducing Infant and Child Mortality
and Morbidity
in the Kingdom of Cambodia
March 22 , 2002 at 3:00 p.m.
at the Ministry of Health
(Editors are invited for report and photo coverage)
Within the framework of the Royal Government of Cambodia-UNICEF programme of cooperation for 2001-2005, the Government of Japan has decided to extend Grant Aid assistance of up to three hundred and eight million Yen (\ 308,000,000), approximately equivalent to two million three hundred thousand US dollars (US$ 2,300,000), for the two-year Project (2002-2003) for Reducing Infant and Child Mortality and Morbidity in the Kingdom of Cambodia.
The Notes to this effect will be exchanged on March 22, 2002 at 3:00 p.m. at the Ministry of Health under the presence of His Excellency Dr. HONG SUN HUOT, Senior Minister, Minister of Health, between Mr. Louis-Georges ARSENAULT, UNICEF Representative to Cambodia and His Excellency Mr. Gotaro OGAWA, Ambassador of Japan to the Kingdom of Cambodia.
The health status of Cambodian children still remains one of the poorest in Asia despite the economic progress and increasing political stability in Cambodia. The heavy burden caused by disease and malnutrition as well as poor maternal health, limited availability of basic health services and poor household health knowledge result in over 55,000 deaths annually among children under five years of age. Diarrhoeal diseases, acute respiratory infections and the six vaccine preventable diseases, particularly neonatal tetanus and measles, are the main causes of child illness and death, responsible for over half of these deaths. Deficiencies in micro nutrients, vitamin A, iron and iodine are widespread and considered a public health problem. Dengue (particularly in urban areas) and malaria are also significant causes of child morbidity and mortality. Another very serious problem in Cambodia is HIV/AIDS with a prevalence rate of 2.8 percent among the adult population (15-49 years) in 2000, leading to an increasing number of HIV infected children due to maternal-child transmission.
With this Grant Assistance, UNICEF will cooperate closely with the Ministry of Health, local authorities and village communities to increase the survival of children, reduce the burden of illness and improve their development. The specific objectives include reducing the burden of vaccine preventable diseases through strengthening of routine immunization services, elimination of vitamin A and iodine deficiency, and reducing the burden of diarrhoeal disease and respiratory infections. Improvement of efficiency in supply and use of essential drugs and increasing availability of VCCT (Voluntary and Confidential Counselling and Testing) services for HIV are also proposed.
It is expected that through this two-year project, children's access to integrated quality health services and the protection of newborn children at birth will be improved, as well as the education of families and communities on good health, nutrition and family planning. Some 2.2 million Cambodian children under five years of age will benefit from this project.
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